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A prayer for Samsu-iluna (Samsu-iluna B)

Sumerian literature (ETCSL) · 2 - Royal praise poetry and compositions with a historical background · 40 sections

1. gap

   (unknown no. of lines missing)

2. 1

   zi […]

   (unknown no. of lines missing) Life ……. Life ……. Life ……. …… of your name ……. …… holy life ……. Enki ……. Prince Samsu-iluna, ……. …… terrifying splendour which spreads far and wide. Enki …… your throne, and …… bestow on you a sceptre of long years and days; may he …… your crown …… like Utu.

3. 2

   zi […]

4. 3

   zi X […]

5. 4

   mu-za […]

6. 5

   til3 kug […]

7. 6

   {d}en-ki an […]

8. 7

   nun sa-am-su-i-[lu-na] […]

9. 8

   me-lem4 daĝal-⌈še3⌉ [dul-la …]

10. 9

    {ĝiš}gu-za-[zu] {d}en-ki-⌈ke4⌉ […]

11. 10

    ĝidru mu ud su3-ra2 saĝ-e-eš […-rig7]

12. 11

    ⌈aga⌉-zu {d}utu-gin7 […] ḫe2-[…]

13. 12

    ⌈nam⌉-lugal-⌈zu⌉ an ki-gin7 ḫe2-⌈ge⌉-[en]

    May your kingship be as stable as heaven and earth! You are king of numerous lands and peoples! You are the people's good shepherd! You are the herdsman of the settled people! When like Utu you impart just verdicts, …… justice, …… you call by name ……, then you, Samsu-iluna, shall be the king of the eloquent words of Utu, and you shall be the foremost of kings.

14. 13

    ma-da uĝ3 lu-a lugal-[bi] ḫe2-[me-en]

15. 14

    uĝ3-e sipad zid-bi ḫe2-[me-en]

16. 15

    uĝ3 dur2-ru-na-bi na-⌈gada⌉-bi ḫe2-[me-en]

17. 16

    {d}utu-gin7 di gen6-na [dab5]-be2-da-zu-[ne]

18. 17

    X X X šar2-ra ?-gen6 mu sa4 X X X X […]

19. 18

    sa-am-su-i-lu-na lugal inim sag9-sag9-ge {d}utu-⌈kam⌉-[me]-⌈en⌉

20. 19

    lugal-e-ne saĝ-kal-⌈bi⌉ ḫe2-me-en

21. 20

    kur gu2-erim2-ĝal2-la-zu ud ⌈ḫuš-gin7⌉ du7-zu-[ne]

    When like a raging storm you batter the foreign lands that are hostile to you, may your head be raised high, O king; may your head be raised high, O Samsu-iluna! In Babylon, the city of the divine powers of Suen, may you let your cleverness shine like the sun! May Marduk, the god who created you, lift your head high in the midst of lords and princes! On the field of battle, of mêlée and conflict, may he never stray from your side! May he be your helper with weapons, may he cause you to excel until distant days! May An, king of the gods, make your life last until distant days! May Enlil, king of the foreign lands, who confirms your words, make your words weighty! May Inana, the great queen of heaven, grasp you firmly with her holy word! May Enki deliver numerous people into your hands! May Asari, the great ruler of the abzu, who provides advice for all the foreign lands, the lordly one of Eridug, the god who in his …… calls all the …… with a good name -- may he be your great princely strength!

22. 21

    lugal gu2 an-še3 ḫe2-ni-zig3

23. 22

    sa-am-su-i-lu-na gu2 an-še3 ḫe-ni-zig3

24. 23

    kan4-diĝir-ra{ki} iri me {d}suen-na-ka nam-⌈gal-zu⌉ ud-gin7 pa ḫe2-ni-ib2-e3

25. 24

    {d}marduk diĝir saĝ du3-zu ⌈gu2⌉-en nun-e-ne-⌈ka⌉ saĝ-zu ḫe2-eb2-il2-⌈le⌉

26. 25

    ki me3 šen-šen ĝiš-ĝiš-⌈la2⌉-[a]-⌈ka⌉ da-za ĝa2-la na-an-ni-ib-dag-ge

27. 26

    a2-taḫ {ĝiš}tukul-zu ḫe2-[me] ud su3-ra2-še3 ḫe2-ba-e-⌈dirig-?⌉

28. 27

    an lugal diĝir-re-e-⌈ne⌉-[ke4] zi-? ud su3-ra2-še3 ⌈ḫe2⌉-[me]-da-ĝal2

29. 28

    {d}en-lil2 lugal kur-kur-[ra]-⌈?⌉ inim-zu ge-en-na ?-zu ḫa-ba-ab-dugud

30. 29

    {d}inana nin gal an-[na-ke4] inim kug-ga-ni-a ḫe2-bi2-ib2-ḫa-za

31. 30

    [{d}en-ki]-⌈ke4⌉ uĝ3 šar2-[ra šu]-zu-! !-mu-un-ĝal2

32. 31

    [{d}asari] ensi2 gal ⌈abzu ?⌉-kur kilib-ba na de5 ba-X-a nir-ĝal2 eridug{ki}-ga

33. 32

    diĝir X-ra-na kilib3-ĝal2 X [X]-e-ne-ke4 mu dug3-ga ḫe2-bi2-ib2-sa4 a2 nun gal-zu ḫe2-a

34. 33

    {d}namma ama e2-e X […] ki ama kalam-ma-ka ka-za a ḫe2-ĝa2-ĝa2

    May Namma, the mother who …… the house, place water in your mouth at the …… of the Land! May Damgalnuna, the great lady of Eridug, when she intercedes joyfully in the good bedchamber, (1 line unclear) pray on your behalf for days of plenty and days …… from her husband. May the …… deity, the protective goddess of the abzu, be your source of good omens …… for ever and ever! O Samsu-iluna, my king!

35. 34

    {d}dam-gal-nun-na ⌈nin gal⌉ eridug{ki}-ga ki-nu2 dug3 ul-le-eš sizkur2-re-da-ni

36. 35

    mu-la2 ḫi-a […]-ma dam-bi nu-til-e

37. 36

    ud ḫe2-ĝal2-la ud ?-a […] ⌈mu⌉-ni-[(X)]-⌈bur2⌉-ra sag9-ga

38. 37

    ki nitalam-a-[ni-ta] ⌈! ḫa⌉-mu-ra-ab-be2

39. 38

    diĝir gub-ba {d}lamma ⌈abzu⌉ lu2 inim-ĝar sag9-ga-zu ḫe2-a AB-e X X-a ud da-ri2-še3

40. 39

    sa-am-su-i-lu-na lugal-ĝu10

The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL), Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford. Copyright holders: Jeremy Black, Graham Cunningham, Jarle Ebeling, Esther Flückiger-Hawker, Eleanor Robson, Jon Taylor and Gábor Zólyomi. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Source.